


Traditions

by cipherninethousand



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-14 02:02:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9152629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cipherninethousand/pseuds/cipherninethousand
Summary: Torian has never been shy about sharing Mandalorian tradition, so Nestani decides that she’ll share a little bit of her own.  Takes place between KOTFE and KOTET, but there are no spoilers.





	

By the time the new year rolls around, Nestani finds herself content for the first time in months. Torian’s here. Mako is here, and Gault and Blizz. The Mando’ade camp to the north of the base has been celebrating between missions for days and will go on for several more after Life Day. Torian’s never been selfish about sharing his culture, and neither will she.

So on the night before the old year turns new, she pulls a few from the base. Just her old crew and her new friends, enough to number eleven. Hylo helped her to get the paint. The ingredients for the new year’s stew had been easy enough to purchase on the Republic fleet, with Theron’s help. It’s not quite the same (never been the same without Prethalo, never will be), but each of them follow her instructions.

A circle. Hosts in the middle, guests on the outside.

Hylo and Nestani lined their facial tattoos with gold paint earlier. Now it’s time for the others. This is a ritual meant to be shared, after all.

Koth first. Nestani lines the strong tendons in his hands – these are the hands that helped, when he had precious little to gain. With an admonishment not to touch anything for two minutes, she whispers a blessing long forgotten. Hylo’s started to do the same to Gault, though, perhaps a little cheekily, it’s his mouth she’s lined. 

Vette, the tattoos on her lekku, and Kaliyo her scalp tattoos. Blizz holds out his hands for palm markings. Jorgan’s are lines across his forehead. Lana is marked across the bicep scarred by a Knight, and around her eyes, while Theron’s curve around the edges of his implant, flowing down the side of his face.

He shudders at the cold wet of the brush. Everyone laughs. Nestani’s clan is the last to get theirs – Mako, the mark of Clan Cadera (on her cheek), the lines for ‘sister’ written along her jaw, her nose. 

Finally, it’s Torian’s turn.

Nestani does not mark himhusband, because anyone with eyes knows who he is. Instead, she marks places that mean something. His coming of age scars. The spot on the edge of his mouth that she likes to kiss, double lines beneath his eyes to draw out their color. While Hylo’s begun to pass around the stew behind them, Torian leans in with a smile. In quiet, hesitant Mirialan he says _/New year greet you well./_

_“Evaar'la simir tateya gar pirusti, Torian.”_

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to have *something* that deals with Mirialan tradition. I know Torian's not completely unfamiliar with them, because he uses a Mirialan saying in one of his romance letters. That phrase is the whole reason that Nestani ended up being a Mirialan in the first place, so I'm way overdue in writing this.
> 
> Mando'a translations:
> 
> Evaar'la simir tateya gar pirusti, Torian - New year greet you well, Torian.


End file.
